"It's a difficult decision to close a store, and we've done all that we can to keep this location open," Steve Davis, a Borders senior vice-president, says in a press release. "This store has not met our profit objectives for some time now. In today's economy, no retailer can afford to operate stores that do not produce the kind of results required to sustain a location."

As Jonathan Messinger of Time-Out Chicago notes, "As bookstores lose out to internet competition, a flagging economy, and lagging interest, it's important that they become more than just stores."

Brick-and-mortar bookstores must offer something that their online competition can't. They must provide more than just books. Many independent bookstores offer a personal touch and are gathering places for social clubs, students, and folks just looking for a quiet corner. National retailers like Borders and Barnes & Noble, who focus primarily on sales and not on community, may not survive if trends continue.